Combined writing-tablet and copy-holder.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

J. E. LOVELESS & J. W. MULLIGAN. COMBINED WRITING TABLET AND COPY HOLDER.

APPLICATION TILED D30. 11- 1902.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 788,049. PATENIED SEPT. 1, 1903.

J. E. LOVELESS & J. W. MULLIGAN. COMBINED WRITING TABLET AND COPY HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

3 I 5 Fig.5.

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UNITED STATES Tatented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. LOVELESS AND JOHN YV. MULLIGAN, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

COMBINED WRlTlNG-TABLET AND COPY-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,049, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed December 11, 1902. Serial No. 134,836. (No model.)

of the invention, such as will enable others.

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a combined writing desk or tablet and-copy-holder designed for the use of stenographers in taking dictation and transcribing and copying the dictated matter on a type-writing machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character embodying a suitable holder provided with means for winding and unwinding a strip of paper of which a portion is constantly exposed for use and means for feeding the paper step by step the proper distance between lines, so as to enable the user to write down his notes without the necessity of turning any leaves or changing the position of the writing-hand, and whereby the paper maybe moved backward whenever the user desires to refer to notes already written, the construction being such that the holder forms a convenient writing desk or pad which may be supported upon the knee or upon a desk, as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive of construction and production, neat and compact, and adapted to allow the user to move the paper in either direction continuously or step by step, so that matter previously written may be quickly brought to view and the paper again rapidly fed up to writing position and so that the distance between lines or portions of written matter may be varied whenever required.

A still further object of the invention is to provide operating devices which may be conveniently manipulated by the thumb ora finger of the left hand while the right is being employed in taking down dictation, or vice versa.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrange ment of parts, as will be more fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1-is a perspective view of a writing tablet or desk and copyholder constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the top plate or platen removed, showing the paper-feed mechanism. Fig. 4: is afragmen tary detail view of the sliding shaft and its slot-and-pin connection with the sleeved gear. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on line '7 7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detail longitudinal section on line 8 8 of Fig. 3.

In carrying ourinvention into practice we provide a desk or holder consisting of a rectangular inclosing frame 1, closed at bottom and top by bottom and top plates 2 and3, the former entirely closing the bottom opening of the frame and thelatter being of less length than the frame or slotted at each end to pro Vide openings 4 and 5 for passage of the pa per 6, which moves over the plate 3, which serves as a platen or support for that portion of the paper which is exposed for use. The plate 2 may be formed integral with the frame and the plate 3 screwed or otherwise detachably connected thereto, or both plates may be detaohably fastened to the frame, as shown in the present instance, as desired. The holder will be made in practice of such convenient form and size that it may be readily supported on the knee or upon a desk, as may be found most desirable in taking dictation.

Mounted within the frame or holder is a motor-gear 7, driven by a suitable propellingspring 8, connected with a winding-shaft 9, having a rectangular end 10, exposed through an opening 11 in the bottom plate 2 and adapted to receive a suitable form of key, by means of which the shaft may be turned to wind up the spring when occasion requires. This motor wheel '7 is provided with peripheral ratchet-teeth 12, engaged by a pawl or detent 13, carried by a stop-lever 14, pivoted at 15 intermediate of its length upon a contiguous portion of the frame 1. This pawl is adapted ICO by the movement of the lever to be thrown into or out of engagement with the ratchetteeth to allow the motor-wheel to turn the distance of one tooth, several teeth, or continu-. ously, according to the amount of paperitis desired to feed up for use or to move back for inspection of notes previously written, as hereinafter described. As shown, the wheel 7 is adapted to rotate in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, and the straightsides of the ratchet-teeth are engaged by the pawl 13, thus normally holding the wheel from movement. Upon one side the wheelis also formed with cog teeth or pins 16, with which mesh a cog or pin wheel 17 upon one end of a shaft 18, journaled in bearings 19, the opposite end of said shaft carrying a beveled gear 20, which meshes with a beveled pinion 21. This pinion 21 is provided with a hub or sleeve 22, which turns in a bearing 23 and which surrounds a longitudinally-extending shaft 24, journaled in bearings 23, and is provided with a slot 25, adapted to receive a pin 26 on said shaft, whereby the latter is adapted to slide longitudinally without changing the position of gear21, but is adapted to rotate therewith in an obvious manner. The shaft 24 is provided at one end with a beveled gear 27, which is adapted to mesh with a gear 28 on a shaft 29, and at its opposite end is provided with a similar beveled gear 30, adapted to mesh with a gear 31 on a shaft 32, the said two shafts 29 and 32 being disposed transversely at opposite ends of the frame or holder and at right angles to the shaft 24. The shaft 29 serves as a support for the paper-roll 6, from which the strip of paper 6, passing over the platen 3, is unwound, and this shaft is mounted at one end contiguous to the gear 28 in a fixed bearing33 and at its opposite end in a spring-bearing 34, the latter being grooved or recessed to receive the end of the shaft and adapted to be pressed or spring back to allow the shaft to be disconnected therefrom and turned upwardly on the bearing 33 as a fulcrum to permit of the ready application or removal of a roll of paper 6. The shaft 32 supports a rubber roll 35 and is journaled in the bearings 36 and 37. This roll 35 forms a tension device in connection with a shaft 38, which serves as a winding-shaft to take up the paper unwinding from the roll on the shaft 29. The said winding shaft 38 is mounted at its ends in segmental blocks or half-bearings 39, sliding in guide-grooves 40 upon the inner faces of the bearings 36 and 37 and drawn in a direction toward the roll 35 by tension-springs 41. As the paper unwinds from the roll 6 and winds upon the shaft 38 it presses upon the roll 35, which affords the desired degree of friction to keep the paper stretched to the proper tension over the platen 3, and as the winding upon the shaft 38 increases in size the bearings 39 yield away from the roll 35 in the guides 40 against the tension of the springs 41, thus accommodating the position of the shaft 38 to the size or circumference of the roll of the strip of paper winding thereon and at the same time opposing a resistance to cause the paper to at all times press with sufficient friction on the roll 35 to keep the paper over the platen at the proper degree of tautness to prevent any slipping of the paper and maintain it stretched in the best condition for writing. The use of this tension device enables the paper to be fed the exact distance, which may be the distance of one ruled line at a time, by a step-by-step movement, so that each time the operating mechanism is set in action, as hereinafter described, the paper feeding from the roll 6 through the slot 4 and over the platen and through the slot 5 to the shaft 38 will be moved a distance equivalent to the proper distance between the lines of notes, no matter how much or how little of the paper may be wound upon the shaft 38.

Normally the shaft 24 is so positioned that the gear 30 is in mesh with the gear 31, while the gear 27 is out of mesh with the gear 28, so that as the motor wheel or gear 16 turns to the left and operates the shaft 18 the motion of the latter will be transmitted through the gears 20 and 21 to the shaft 24 to positively operate the roll 35 to wind up the paper from the roll 6 on the winding-shaft 38 and at the same time allow the paper to freely unwind from the roll on the shaft 29, the operation of the gearing thus causing the paper to be fed upward on the platen for use in inscribing stenographers notes thereon in taking dictation. The shaft 24 is normally maintained in this position by a spring 42, encompassing the same between a head 43 thereon and the sleeve 22, the expansion of said spring serving to press the shaft upward or toward the shaft 32 to maintain the gear 30 in contact with the gear 31. In the operation of the device, however, it is often desirable to reverse the direction of movement of the paper to allow notes previously written upon a portion of the paper wound or winding upon shaft 38 to be brought back upon the platen for inspection, and to this end we provide means for reversing the direction of movement of the paper to cause it to unwind from the shaft 38 and Wind upon shaft 29, and to secure a proper regulation.

of the operation of the motor-wheel 7 we also provide means for controlling the same to feed the paper in either direction continuously or by a step movement, as desired.

Through the bearing 37 slide two push-rods 44 and 45, which are provided at their outer ends with heads or push-buttons 44 and 45. These rods also slide through the upper arm or portion of the lever 14 and are provided with contact-pieces 44 and 45 for actuating said lever. A spring 46 draws the upper or free end of lever 14 toward the bearing 37, and thus normally maintains the pawl 13 in contact with the wheel 7 and holds it against rotation. By pressing the button 44 inwardthe contact-piece 44 will be forced into en- TOC the paper in the normal manner, it will be readily understood that by pressing inward and immediately releasing the button 4:4 the wheel 7 may be allowed to rotate-the distance of one tooth and to transfer movement to the paper sufficient to feed it upward on the platen 3 a distance of a single line and that, on the contrary, by holding the button 44. pressed inward the wheel will continue to rotate and any desired amount of paper may thereby be fed along the platen from the roll 6 and wound upon the shaft 38, so that the matter written on the paper may be spaced any desired distance apart. The push-rod 45 is connected at its inner end to one arm of an angular shifting-leverfl, the opposite arm of which is adapted when said push-rod is forced inwardly by pressing on the button so to come in contact with the head 43 and slide the shaft 2% downwardly against the pressure of spring 42 to bring gear 30 out of engagement with gear 31 and throw gear 27 into engagement with gear 28, thus adapting shaft 25) to be turned in the reverse direction to wind up the paper thereon, which is thereby caused to unwind from the shaft 38, thus moving back over the platen the paper previously written upon, so that the matter previously taken down may be inspected. This inward movement of the button 45 disconnects the pawl 13 from the rack-teeth 12, allowing the motorwheel 7 to rotate to a greater or less extent to move the paper back on the platen any required distance. It will be understood, of course, that the pin-andslot connection 25 and 26 between the gear 21 and shaft 2t permits of the required sliding motion of said shaft and that when the button 45 is released the springs 42 and 46 will restore the parts to their normal position and stop the motor-wheel.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of the invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that this device is designed to save time in stenographic note-taking and enable the stenographer to work more rapidly and with greater comfort and ease, as the necessity of the turning of leaves of a notebook is avoided and the stenographer may write constantly without changing the position of the note-book and the hand and arm. When one line has been written, the simple pressing of the button with the thumb of the left hand moves the paper forward until the nextline on the paper is in the same position as was the last one just written, and the pressing of a second button with the same thumb enables the movement of the paper to be reversed and to be carried back rapidly when the stenographer wishes to transcribe or to refer to or read any part of the writing done.

The device is advantageous in also enabling reporters or others who have no table to easily take down dictation, as the holder forms a solid desk or tablet and the device may be supported upon the knee and held in the left hand, or the hand not being employed to handle the pencil, with the buttons in position to be conveniently manipulated by the thumb of that hand.

It will be understood that, if desired, a folding support or stand of any preferred kind may be provided for holding the device in erect position for transcribing and that the parts may be designed so that when the device is supported in such position the backward movement of reversal of the type-writer carriage after writing each line may be employed to impart motion to the operating-button to move up the work in the copy-holder one line each time a line is written on the type-writer.

We do not restrict our invention to the specific construction of device herein shown, but reserve the right to make such changes and modifications as fairly fall within the spiritand scope of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described,

a motor, means for supporting a roll of paper and taking up the paper as it unwinds therefrom, gearing including a shaft and driven from the motor and shiftable to two positions for feeding the paper in one direction or the other, means for normally maintaining the shaft in one of such positions, means for actuating the first-named means to shift the shaft to the other position, and means for simultaneously controlling said shifting means and the action of the motor-wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a motor, means for supporting a roll of paper and taking up the paper as it unwinds therefrom, gearing including a shaft and shiftable to two positions for feeding the paper in one direction or the other, means for normally maintaining the shaft in one of such positions, a brake for arresting the motor, an operating device for releasing the brake to adapt the motor to drive the shaft when in its normal position, and a second operating device for simultaneously releasing the brake and shifting the shaft to its other position, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, a motor, means for supporting a roll of paper and taking up the paper as it unwinds therefrom, gearing including a shaft shiftable to two positions for feeding the paper in one direction or the other,means for normally maintaining the shaft in one of such positions, a brake for arresting the motor, an operating device having a determined range of move ment for releasing the brake to adapt the motor to drive the shaft when in its normal po IIO &

sition, and a second operating device having a greater range of movement for simultaneously releasing the brake and shifting the shaft to its other position, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, a motor, means for supporting a roll of paper and taking up the paper as it unwinds therefrom, gearing including a shaft shiftable to two positions for feeding the paper in one direction or the other,means for normally maintaining the shaft in one of such positions, a brake for arresting the motor, a lever for shifting the shaft to the other position, a device for releasing the brake to allow the motor to operate without afiectin g the lever,and a second device for releasing the brake and simultaneously actuating the lever, substantially as described. r

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a motor-wheel disposed horizontally therein, a longitudinally-extending shaft having two operative positions, rolls adapted to be alternately placed in gear with said shaft when the same is moved in one direction or the other to vary the direction of movement of a strip of paper unwinding from one roll and winding upon the other roll, gearing between the said shaft and motor-wheel, means for normally maintaining the shaft in one position, a device for shifting the shaft to the other position, a brake for stopping the motor, and devices movable transversely of the casing to release the brake, one adapted to release the brake without affecting the position of the shaft and the other to simultaneously release the brake and operate the shaft-shifting device, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with winding-rolls, of gearing for operating the rolls, said gearing including a shaft adjustable to directly drive either roll, means for maintaining the shaft in one of its positions, a bell-crank lever for shifting the shaft to its other position, a motor-wheel in gear with the shaft, a swinging brake for stopping the m otor-wheel, and pushrods having diiferent ranges of movement, one being connected with the lever, whereby the one not connected with the bell-crank lever is adapted to release the brake without affecting the lever while the other is adapted to simultaneously release the brake and actuate the lever, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a motor-wheel mounted to rotate horizontally therein, a 1ongitudinal shaft slidably mounted, rolls transversely disposed at the ends of the casing and provided with gears adapted to mesh with gears on the shaft, the shaft by its sliding movement being shiftable to two positions to directly drive either roll, a transverse shaft in gear at one end with the motor-wheel, and having a gear at its opposite end, a gear upon the sliding shaft meshing with the gear on the transverse shaft and having a clutch connection with said sliding shaft whereby the latter is adapted to slide independently thereof, a spring for holding the sliding shaft in one position, a bell-crank lever for shifting the sliding shaft to the other position against the tension of said spring, a pivoted brake device for stopping the motor-wheel, and push-rods acting on said brake device for releasing it from engagement with the Wheel, one of said push-rods having a greater range of movement than the other and being connected to the bell-crank lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH E. LOVELESS. JOHN W. MULLIGAN.

Witnesses:

DAVID H. KEEFER, E. O. PERKINS. 

